Bonding rail-joint.



J. G. SMITH. BONDING RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED MAR, 2. 1911.

1,033,767. Patented July 23, 1912 IWHNESSES a )(ZVENTOi a W gmmm BONDING RAiIL-JOIKT.

Togell whom it may concern it known that I, JOHN G. SMi'rH, a citizen of the United States, residing-at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bonding Rail- Joints, of Which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints for electric railways, and the object of the invention is to provide a joint in which the meeting ends of the rails will be firmly held 'in place, and in which the bonding wire will be .inclosed and protected so that injury to the same and consequent breaking of theelectric circuit cannot occur.

The invention also has for its object the provision. of a rail-joint in which the parts may be easily assembled, but will be secure against accidental separation while in use.

The objects of the invention areattained in suclv a device as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then pointed-out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a rail-joint embodying my improveon the line 3-'3'0f Fig. 2.

ments; Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken The rails 1 are of the usual form and may be of any desired size. Through the webs of the rails are formed the usual openings for the reception of the securing bolts as indicated at 2. Through the webs near the bases of the rails I also form transverse wire 4 are .fitted, the bonding wire being in the form of bails, having their ends beveled, as shown at 5, so that when the ends are inserted in the opening 3 they will overi lap and bind the wires within the openings so as to form intimate contact with the body of the rail, and thereby establish perfect electrical connection. As shown most clearly in Fig. 2, two bails are employed which are inserted into the openings sides of the rails and the ends of the bails are oppositely beveled, so that the beveled plates 6-which are" provided at their centers portions will overlap and serve as wedges to bind the bails within the openings. Against the webs of the. rails I place fish 3 from opposite orrion JOHN G. SMITH, or DULUTH, mINNnso'rA, AssIeNor; To rnnnnarex] n. 1 v

nn'rnor'r, MICHIGAN.

with horizontal longitudinal rave or re-' Specification of Letters Patent. 1 n e cesses 7 forming seats for the bondihg wires,-

and completely inclosing the s e; soffthat the said wires will bejprotected? chance blows or accidental(ilisloc'va ion.' "The fish plates are provided. with openings, indi=- cated at 8, adapted to register witl'itheopen' ings 2' inthe railsgand through a, es'eregis tering openings I insert pins or hh'eadless bolts 9, as clearly shown. The-piiihre'prd vided with heads 10 having a tapetedforma tion, so that when they are *driven'. home through the fish plates they will engage.s'imi-. lar co-acting surfaces on the adjacent fish plate and thereby serve to:bin;dthe fish plate against the rails.

A joint chair 11- is provided which f the form of a solid body havingiai 8 1 adapted 'to extend under the bases-,o f the railsfand'form a seat for the same,-and side arms 13 adapted to lie parallel with theefish plates and webs of the rails,

the portions- 14,

connecting the seat and sidearIflS,

rails, as shownclearly in Fi .3. In order to reinforce the chair, I provide lateralribs.

shaped to 'fit over the base flanges of the so;

15 whichoontinue under the seat 0r'base-12 and constitute anchors which may be 'em bedded in theroadbed. so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the chair after it has been fitted in place at the joint.

arm 13 at one side of, the chair-lies snugly against the adjacent fish'plate while,. the' arm- 13 at the other side of the 'chairisi spaced from the fish plate and extends'at'an angle thereto, as shown most clearly in Fi 2, this side arm being'also provided wit an overhanging lip or flange 16 on its upper edge, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Between thisside arm of the'chair and the adjacent fish plate, a wedge-shaped lockingv 1-7, is inserted, so as to bear against the key arm and the heads of the pins 9, whereby,

as .the locking key is driven home, the pins will be forced through the fish plates and the rails to the limit of their movement, I i

and the fish plates and the chair will be firmly bound together and against the rails,

thus securely fastening the several parts in their. assembled positions. The overhanging lip 16 will prevent the locking key rising from its seat and the key is preferably ofsuch a length that its smaller end 18 may protrude beyond the 'end of the chair, and-be bentagainst the outer face-of I the same, as shown iniFig. 2, to prevent the. key working out from between the chair and the adjacent fish plate under the jarring caused by passing trains.-

p .In .assemblingthe parts of a joint'in ac- "cordance with my invention, thechair is the rails so as to inclose the wires, as shown, and beforedescnbed. The transverse pins be readlyunderstood. 7 Z

9 arev then inserted through the fish plates and the rails, and the chair is then moved back so as-to bridge the joint, after which theylocking key will be driven home, aswill From the foregoing description taken in connection; with "the accompanying draw ings, it will be seen thatfI have provided a rall joint composed of few parts which may be readily assembled and disassembled when necessary, and'by which the separation of the rails 'w'ill'be efiectually prevented while the several parts are in place. The bonding wires establish perfect electrical connection :between the'ends of the rails and as there are no nuts or threaded parts employed, the accidental separation of the several elements of/che, jointis eflectually prevented. Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1.:The combination with meeting rails, of fish'pla'tes fitted against the opposite sides of the webs of the rails and provided in their inner sides .near their lower edges with seats for bonding wires, headed pins inserted transversely through the fish plates and the rails, a chair inclosing the bases of the rails and having upstanding side arms,

'the adjacent arm of the chair,-

provided with an inwardly projecting flange at its upper edge, and a wedge inserted 1011-.

gitudinally under said flange extending between the same and the baseslof the rails and bearing upon the heads of the pins and 2. The combination with meeting rails, of

fish plates fitted against :the opposite sides of the webs of the rails and rovided on their inner sides with seats or bonding wires. pins inserted transversely through the fish plates and the rails, a chair inclosing the bases of the rails and having up standing side arms, oneof said arms bearing against one of the fish plates and the other being provided with an inwardly. 'projectin'g flange at its upper edge, and a wedge inserted between said arm and the adjacent fish plate and extending between said flange and the bases of the rails the length of the wedge being greater than the length of the chair.

3. In combination with meeting rails, fish plates fitted against the opposite sides of the webs of the rails and provided on their. inner sides with elongated recesses to receive bonding wires, pins inserted transversely through the fish plates and the rails, a chair having upstanding side arms, one bearing against one of the fish plates and the other provided with an inwardly projecting flange at its upper edge, and a wedge inserted between said arm and the adja-' cent fish plate and between said flange and the'bases of the rails.

in presenceof two witnesses.

' JOHN G. SMITH.

In testimony whereof I aflix lily signature, 

